


Alter Ego

by trebleDeath



Category: She-Ra - All Media Types, She-Ra and the Princesses of Power
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern: No Powers, Emotional Manipulation, Enemies to Lovers, F/F, Fanfiction, Foster System, Friends to Enemies, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Lovers to Friends, Multi, Slow Burn, Tags to be added, alter-ego
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-16
Updated: 2018-11-16
Packaged: 2019-08-24 14:00:30
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,211
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16641522
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/trebleDeath/pseuds/trebleDeath
Summary: Shera and Catra are two OC's created by a pair of best friends and foster kids Adora and Cat to retell their lives as a dystopian story. It was theirs together, but when Adora leaves and tries to end that story, the two begin to fight.





	Alter Ego

**Author's Note:**

> so this was originally highschoolish au, but now i think this is the end of their senior year of highschool right before university, granted no one's going to go to university except the privileged princesses. you think adora has money for that???
> 
> and as the characters translate their experiences into fanfiction, they'll be using code names sort of? like catra will be the same everywhere i suppose. adora will be shera in fanfiction, glimmer will be sparkles, and so forth, the code names theyve given themselves.

_ ‘Shera planted her feet on the expanse of grass, marveling already how much softer the soil beneath her boots was compared to the concrete and steel she had tread upon for so many years. Smiling, she turned to her best friend. _

_ “We found it. This can all be over now!” She reached out a hand and took Catra’s slightly furry one to lead her onto the patch of grass at the edge of the fright zone.  _

_ Hesitantly, the cat girl stepped forward, visibly relaxing as the earth and grass met her bare feet. A purr started to rumble in her chest, “Yes, it’s over. We’re finally free.” _

_ Smiling, Shera started to walk through the field with Catra. Eventually they reached the sparse beginnings of a fantastical forest. Hues of pink and soft yellows dotted the twisted purple trunks.  _

_ Shera gently squeezed her companions hand before looking at her, “It’s the whispering woods, from the stories they told us as kids.” _

_ “No, this forest is much prettier than the death maze they said it would be. Do you think the trees move like they say?” _

_ “Maybe. But I’d rather go in there than go back to Shadow Weaver, even if it does turn out to be a death maze.” _

_ Catra giggled, “It won’t be, it’ll be fine, I can feel it. Let’s go.” _

_ Shera gave an affirming nod, “Together.” _

_ Holding each other's hand tight, they stepped into the forest, leaving behind all memories of steel, hatred, and evil leaders. Finally, they could start their fairy tale together.’ _

  
  


“Well?” Adora leaned forward on Cat’s bed, looking expectant as she finished reading the words on the page.

She shrugged her shoulders and disguised whatever look was on her face previously with a dull look. “It’s fine. You’ve gotten better at writing over the years. I’m just not sure it makes sense.”

The blond cocked her head, “What doesn’t make sense?”

Again, Cat shrugged, “A lot of things I guess. Like, if they could have always fought Shadow Weaver one on one, why didn’t they earlier? Also, why would Hoardak care about two senior cadets enough to try and stop them?”

“Well they weren’t strong enough before just now. Maybe they didn’t want it enough. And Hoardak cares because Shera and Catra are probably going to start a resistance now, and fight against his dictatorship.”

“Okay, that makes sense but you should just have written that instead of telling me, but it’s fine. This is just a first draft, right?”

She nodded, her eyes gleaming again, “Yeah, I’m going to type it up and edit it later. I won’t post it until you have the illustrations done though.”

Cat hummed, “Yeah, okay. I’m excited to see the next chapter you right.”

That was the one thing to wipe the smile of Adora’s face, “What? No, this is the last chapter. I said that, right?”

She shook her head, frowning. “What do you mean it’s the last chapter? Like, you just said they were going to go out and create a resistance. That’s a whole plot line we can follow! Plus this as an ending brings up even more questions. Like, what was stopping them from doing this until now? And don’t say Shadow Weaver because they could have snuck out to the forest. Why didn’t they leave before or start a resistance before? These are themes you could have explored in the next arc, plus I want to draw whatever other citizens escaped into the woods.”

She sighed and put a hand on Adora’s arm, “I don’t mean to sound harsh, but I think this is a good opening chapter for the next part, not a good last chapter. It brings up too many questions and the last line turns our dystopian universe into some fantasy bull shit. And I don’t want to mix genres unless you have somewhere this is going. Like really? We're going to switch from gritty post apocalypse to fairy tales?”

The girl moved her arm, shrugging off Catra's touch and grabbing the papers from her, “The last line’s a metaphor, not literal. All your criticism is baseless, you just don’t ever want this to end.”

She scoffed, “It’s not just that. I just think this is a cop out. There wasn’t enough build up and it’s a selfish ending. How come Catra and Shera get to be free but Kyle and everyone else have to stay.”

“They can leave too!”

“Can they? Can they leave without Catra and Shera helping them? Security’s gonna double if they can just leave so easily. I just don’t think it’s good.” She sighed, “I just don’t want to end it here. Why can’t we continue?”

“You know this Cat, I’m going to be busy adjusting to living on my own and working and going to school. I don’t want to have our story to keep track of too.”

“It won’t be hard Adora, you can email me the rough drafts and we can still do it. Or, you could just wait a few months for me to turn eighteen and go with you. You know she'd let you stay, you're her favorite.”

She sighed, “I don’t want to wait though,” She flopped back onto the bed, letting her arms land wherever, “I want to get out now. Besides, I’m already enrolled for summer classes.”

Catra crossed her arms, “Fine. What about a hiatus, just until I move in with you?”

“No, because I won't have time with university. It just makes sense to end the story now. We’ve had it going since what, sixth grade? I think it’s gone on long enough.”

Catherine stood up, “Fine, end it now, whatever. But Catra’s not going with Shera. She’s my character and I say she wouldn’t leave everyone unless there was a clear plan to continue to help them.”

“What? NO!” Adora immediately sat up, “You can’t do that, it wouldn’t make sense. Shera and Catra have  _ always _ been together, you can’t just do that.”

“Yes I can, she’s my intellectual property. Besides, it’s not like Catra just to leave. She’s staying. Shera can stay with her or go alone.”

“Well Shera’s going!” Adora tried to stand up off the bed in a huff, though it took several moments to untangle her legs from under her and stand up. The papers ended up slightly crumpled as she finally got to her feet and to the door. As she left, she turned to look at her one last time, “And there’s nothing you can say to stop me.”

She borderline slammed the door and walked to her own room. She stayed there for the rest of the evening. That night, she slept alone for the first time in nearly a decade.

Over the next week, she edited the last chapter and published it without Cat’s illustrations. Her eighteenth birthday came and passed quietly as they usually did, though this time, not even her best friend said happy birthday. 

Nor did she say goodbye when Adora left the next morning, all her possessions in her little red suitcase and backpack. She only paused once to look back at the boarding school dorms, hoping to see Catra looking out the window. 

Feeling bittersweet, she turned back and walked away. 


End file.
